Releasable mooring cable



Sept. 16, 1969 c. L. WELTON RELEASABLE MOORING CABLE Filed Oct. 26, 1967 3| INVENTOR. CHARLES L. WELTO/V A TTORNEYS United States Patent US. Cl. 114-230 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A boat mooring assembly including a releasable cable loop engageable with a post and anchorable to a boat. The loop is formed by a cable portion passing through a channel in a block and having the cable end provided with a grooved ferrule releasably latched by a pivoted grooved shaft and a gate actuated by a tag line.

This invention relates to mooring cables for boats, and more particularly to a releasable mooring cable.

One or more mooring cables to secure a boat to a wharf or any other type of landing, are an essential part of the equipment of a boat. Such a cable will vary in construction from a simple line, which is tied to a wharf, pier, post or anchor, to more elaborate types, such as heavy ropes having eye splices which may be looped over the wharf piers. The cable (or cables) holds the boat against the wharf and as the boat is cast off, it is detached from the wharf pier and remains with the boat. The castingotf operation, by detaching the cable, may be an elaborate operaion where a large boat is involved, requiring a man at each wharf pier for each cable, and other men on the boat deck. However, with a small boat moored by one or two cables, the casting off operation may be by a single man in the boat. The present invention is directed primarily to the problems presented in this latter instance.

There has been a tremendous increase in the use of small outboard and inboard motor boats which are twenty to thirty feet long. One common type has an arched deck over the prow with a rope eye at the forward end of this deck. A mooring cable is threaded through this eye to be extended to a pier to secure the front end of the boat. A similar arrangement of an eye and cable may be provided at the stern of the boat to likewise secure the rear end of the boat. When such a boat is moored to a wharf and properly secured with one or more mooring cables, it is an easy matter for the boatman and his passengers to board the boat. However, when the boat is ready to cast off, it is often necessary for the boatman to either release the mooring cables before boarding the boat or to crawl forwardly onto the arched prow deck at the front end of the boat, and to reach upwardly to the pier to release the mooring cable. A similar maneuver may be required at the rear of the boat. The releasing of a cable in either manner can be awkward in a small boat, and sometimes results in the crewman falling into the water.

Accordingly, there is a real and definite need for an improved mode for releasing the mooring cables of a boat, and the present invention was conceived and developed with such a need in view. The invention comprises, in essence, a mooring cable having one end formed as a noose which is adapted to be looped about a post such as a wharf pier. The throat of the noose loop is formed by a small block which is slidably carried upon the bight of the cable and includes a socket to receive the Patented Sept. 16, 1969 "ice end of the cable to complete the loop. This end is releasable from the socket, but it is normally held therein by a gate within the socket. A- tag line is connected to this gate, and a pull of the tag line releases the end of the cable from the socket to break the loop and release the cable from the pier.

It follows that a primary object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved releasable mooring cable which is adapted to permit the occupant of a small boat to board the boat and then to release the cable from a post or pier to which the boat is tied, without the help of an individual on the wharf and without leaving the passenger section at the central portion of the boat.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved releasable mooring cable of comparatively small diameter, which is especially useful for releasing a small boat from a pier, but which also may be enlarged for use with larger and heavier boats.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved releasable mooring cable which requires a mere tug of a line to effectuate its release from a pier and permits the mooring cable to thus remain with the boat at all times.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a releasable cable which is a small, lightweight, economical rugged and durable unit, capable of being used not only with boats, but also of being used for a number of other applications where the line must be secured to and subsequently released from a post or beam or anchor which is not easily accessible at the time the release is desired.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, all of which will more fully hereinafter appear, my invention comprises certain constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts and elements, as hereinafter described, defined in the appended claims and illustrated in preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a boat moored at a wharf by the improved releasable mooring cable.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the noose portion of the releasable cable.

FIGURE 3 is a plan view, similar to FIG. 2, but with the release mechanism having been actuated and the noose loop broken as when the cable is to be disconnected from a pier.

FIGURE 4 is a transverse sectional view, as taken from the indicated line 4-4 at FIG. 2, but on an enlarged scale.

FIGURE 5 is a longitudinal sectionl view, as taken from the indicated line 5-5 at FIG. 4.

FIGURE 6 is a transverse sectional view, as taken from the indicated line 6-6 at FIG. 3.

FIGURE 7 is a longitudinal sectional view, as taken from the indicated line 77 at FIG. 6.

FIGURE 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of the stub and of the cable.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, FIG. 1 illustrates a small boat having its front end moored to a wharf by the improved releasable cable C. One portion of this cable extends from an eye E at the front end of the boat to a pier P at the wharf. The other portion of the cable extends rearwardly through and from the eye E to a suitable tie hook T at the side of the boat near its center and at a position convenient for handling. The rear end of the boat may be arranged for mooring in a similar manner with the provision of an eye E and a tie hook T as illustrated.

The improved cable C is formed with a running noose which is looped onto the wharf pier P and this noose is broken to release the cable from the pier by pulling a tag line L which extends from the throat of the noose to a convenient location in the passenger compartment of the boat. The noose loop is formed by a throat block 20 having a passageway 21 through it, through which the bight reach 22 of the cable slidably extends, and having a socket 23 wherein the end 24 of the cable is fitted. This rope end 24 is rigidified by a ferrule 25 which is normally held in the socket 23 by a rotatable cam rod 26 traversing the socket 23 and rotation thereof to release the end 24 from the socket 23 and break the noose loop is effected by the pull of a tag line L, all as will be hereinafter described in detail. Accordingly, whenever the occupant of the boat is properly seated in the boat, all that will be required in releasing the boat from the pier, is for the boat occupant to pull the tagline L. No one is needed upon the pier, nor is it necessary for the boatman to crawl onto the arched deck portion which ordinarily covers the prow of a small boat to reach outwardly to release the cable from the pier. Moreover, although the cable will drop into the water when it is released, it is recovered by merely pulling it into the boat by the tag line L.

This throat block 20 is formed of a rigid material such as brass or stainless steel of any selected type, which will not tarnish or rust when exposed to water and especially to salt water. This block is a small member shaped as a short double-tube structure to define the cylindrical passageway 21 and the comparable passageway forming the socket 23. Preferably, these passageways are spaced closely together, are of the same diameter and lie in mutual spaced parallelism. The block 20 is thus formed with flattened sides 30, partially arched edges 31 and squared ends 32 at the passageway entrances and exits. The block also includes a web 33 between the passageways wherein the camming rod 26 is mounted as will be described. The diameter of the passageways 21 and 23 establish the size of the block, and these diameters will be the same as the nominal size of the cable being used or of a size through which the cable C will easily slide.

While any type of rope or cord may be used for the cable C, a popular cable for mooring small boats is a one-half inch nylon woven cord. This cord is supple, easy to handle, has great strength and has excellent resistance to deterioration from the effects of water and weather. It will easily slide through a one-half inch diameter passageway 21, and to prevent galling of the cable, the termini of the passageway 21 are chamfered or rounded to eliminate sharp edges at the squared ends 32.

A one-half inch cable of the type designated, will not only easily slide through a one-half inch diameter passageway 21, but it can be snugly and effectively fitted into a thin-walled ferrule 25 which will easily slide into and snugly fit a one-half inch diameter socket 23. This ferrule 25 is formed as a cup-shaped member having a cylindrical wall 35 closed by a comparatively thick, solid base end 36. The length of the ferrule is approximately twice the depth of the block socket 23, and its muzzle end is knurled as at 37 to provide for easy gripping when the base end 36 is to be inserted into the socket 23. This base end 36 includes an annular slot 38 at the end of the ferrule which is substantially semicircular in section to better fit the cam rod 26 as in the manner best illustrated at FIGS. 4 and 5. This ferrule is completed by providing an axial passageway 39 through the base end 36 to receive a wood screw 40 which extends into the ferrule and is turned into the end 24 of the cable to pull the cable into the ferrule cup and secure it in place. This mode of interconnection is especially effective with a woven nylon cord because the end of the cord may be heated and melted into a comparatively solid mass 24' which can be pulled into the ferrule cup by the screw 39 for a very tight, secure fit.

The cam rod 26 extends transversely through a drill hole 41 in the throat block 20 at the web portion 33. Each end of the rod extends a short distance beyond the block .4 sides 30 to connect with the leg portions of a U-shaped lever 42. This layer extends about the block edge 31 adjacent to the socket 23, with sufficient clearance as to permit it to rotate from a locking position where it straddles the edge 31, FIG. 2, to a releasing position where its straddles the end 32 opposite the noose loop, FIG. 3. Since the lever 42 is to be normally in the locking, edge-straddling position, it includes a dimple 43 inset into the face of each leg portion, which is adapted to snap into a small socket 44 in the face 30 of the block. To pull the lever to a releasing position by snapping the dimples 43 out of their sockets 44, the central portion of the crotch is offset 45 to provide a means for threading the tag line L onto the lever.

The cam rod 26 is thus rotated through a degree are in its drill hole 41 by swinging the lever 42 from its locking to its releasing position. In the locking position, the cam rod portion traversing the socket 23 will fit into a portion of the slot 38 of the cable ferrule 25. The central portion of the rod is formed with an arcuate cut-out 46, which meshes with the wall of the socket 23 when the rod 26 is rotated to its releasing position, as in the manner clearly shown at FIG. 6, and when in this position, the ferrule 25 will easily slip out of the socket to break the noose as in the manner illustrated at FIG. 3.

The simple operation of breaking the noose by rotating the cam rod 26 is accomplished by a mere pull of the tag line to rotate the lever 42 as heretofore described.

While I have now described a preferred construction of my invention in considerable detail, it is obvious that this arrangement of components may be varied to provide a comparable releasable mooring cable wherein the noose can be easily broken by the pull of a tag line.

I claim:

1. In a cable for mooring and the like, a break-away noose loop comprising in combination with the cable:

(a) a ferrule encasing the end of the cable and provided with a circumferential groove near its end;

(b) a noose throat block having a passageway wherethrough the bight of the cable slidably extends and a socket adapted to receive the ferrule to form the cable loop;

(0) a gate means on said block generally traversing the socket, adapted to be shifted to a first position to fit into the circumferential groove of the ferrule to thereby lock the end of the cable to the block and to be shifted to a second position out of the circumferential groove to permit the end of the cable to be released from the socket; and

(d) a means including a tag line adapted to permit the gate means to be normally positioned at said first position, but to be shifted to said second position by a pull of the tag line to thereby release the cable end from the socket.

2. In the organization set forth in claim 1, wherein said gate means includes a shaft partially traversing the socket to fit into the ferrule groove to lock the same in position, wherein said shaft is adapted to be rotated to move from the said first position to the said second position, and wherein a portion of the shaft is cut away at the region of the socket interception and oriented on the shaft face at a location which permits the cut-away portion to be aligned with the socket when the shaft is rotated to the said second releasing position.

3. In the organization set forth in claim 1, wherein the socket is cylindrical and sized to receive the ferrule; wherein said gating means comprises a shaft partially intercepting the socket and being adapted to lie within the ferrule groove when the shaft is at the first said locking position; wherein said operating means includes a lever connected to the shaft with the tag line being connected to the extended end of the lever to rotate the shaft by a pull of the lever; and wherein said shaft includes a cutaway portion adapted to conform with the socket passage- 5 6 way when the shaft is rotated to the said releasing position. 3,101,695 8/ 1963 Honeyman.

4. In the organization set forth in claim 3, wherein said 3,239,266 3/ 1966 Elliot 29475 X lever lies adjacent to the body of the throat block and a 3,247,563 4/1966 Guerrero 294-83 X frictlon-lock means 1s lnterposed between the lever and FOREIGN PATENTS the throat block to normally hold the lever at the said first position and to require a significant pull of the tag line to 5 shift the lever to the said second position.

831,311 8/1938 France. 390,528 10/1908 France.

References Cited BERNARD A. GELAK, Primary Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 US CL X R 1,864,974 6/1932 Buckley. 2,916,786 12/1959 Legat. 24"123230294-84 

